Meet the Woman Who Says She Can Recall Every Moment of Her Life

Since January 2004, Rebecca Sharrock has made it a daily habit to cross off the date on a calendar. This practice helps the 31-year-old Brisbane resident keep track of time, as she has an exceptional ability to remember specific days with remarkable clarity. For example, if asked about July 21, 2007, she can confidently say it was a Saturday when her stepfather bought the newly released Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. “I worry that I won’t remember the exact date otherwise,” Sharrock says. “The idea of days blending together really frightens me.” She is among approximately 60 people worldwide diagnosed with Highly Superior Autobiographical Memory (HSAM), a rare condition that enables an extraordinary recall of personal life events.

When Memory Becomes a Superpower

Rebecca Sharrock didn’t realize her memory was extraordinary until January 23, 2011, when her parents showed her a TV news segment about people with exceptional recall. The feature included Professor Craig Stark, a researcher who studies this rare ability. For Sharrock, having such vivid memories had always felt normal. Even now, a gentle breeze can bring back detailed recollections from her childhood—like a vocal workshop she attended at school when she was 13. “On that day in late October 2003, the US president visited Australia for the first time,” she remembers. “That memory brings the entire day flooding back.”

The Neuroscience Behind Exceptional Recall

Highly Superior Autobiographical Memory (HSAM) was first identified in 2006 when Jill Price reached out to Dr. James McGaugh at UC Irvine. Price described her memory as “non-stop, uncontrollable, and totally exhausting.” Research at UC Irvine found that individuals with HSAM can recall specific details of personal past events, frequently reflect on their memories, and possess a keen understanding of calendar patterns. Another person with HSAM, Joey DeGrandis, began showing signs around age 10. “If someone mentioned something that happened years ago, I’d casually respond, ‘Oh, that was a Monday,’” he says. His mother checked his statements against old calendars and confirmed they were always correct.

The Dark Side of Superior Memory

For those with HSAM, having an extraordinary memory can be both a gift and a burden. Many find it difficult to forget painful or distressing experiences. Sharrock explains, “I need distractions like noise and light to fall asleep. When it’s completely quiet, memories flood my mind and keep me awake.” DeGrandis adds, “I tend to dwell on things much longer than most people. When something painful happens, such as a breakup, those feelings don’t just fade away.” For Sharrock, who also lives with OCD, anxiety, and autism, the emotional weight of negative memories remains strong. “When I recall something unpleasant, the emotions from that experience come rushing back,” she says. She describes her condition as isolating: “It’s hard being a medical anomaly because so few people truly understand what you’re experiencing.”

When High Memory Ability Isn’t Enough

Studies indicate that HSAM is limited to autobiographical memory, meaning people with this condition don’t necessarily excel in typical memory tests. DeGrandis admits, “I’m not good at remembering names or everyday details like whether I brushed my teeth today.” Professor McGaugh clarifies that although HSAM memories are exceptionally detailed, “they aren’t like video recordings. Memory is a complex and sometimes unreliable process, and what we recall isn’t always completely accurate.”

What Brain Science Reveals About HSAM and OCD

Researchers have identified structural brain differences in individuals with HSAM, many of whom also display obsessive-compulsive traits. One scientist remarked, “We observed morphological and functional connectivity patterns that align more closely with OCD than with other conditions.” This could help explain why many people with HSAM are particularly meticulous about keeping track of time.

Uncovering Memories Beyond the Norm

Although HSAM usually involves memories starting from early childhood, some people claim to recall experiences even earlier, including memories of past lives. For example, James Leininger began having nightmares about plane crashes when he was just 2 years old. He shared detailed stories about being a World War II pilot named James Huston who was shot down near Iwo Jima. His parents later discovered that many of his descriptions matched historical facts.

Similarly, Ryan Hammons started telling his mother at age 4 about a “previous life” in Hollywood. He said he had been a movie extra who later became a talent agent. When shown a photo from a 1932 film, he identified himself as “Marty.” Researchers found that a man named Marty Martyn had indeed worked as an extra before becoming a Hollywood agent. Although these accounts are anecdotal, they challenge traditional ideas about how memory develops.

Where Memory Science is Heading

Scientists are actively researching HSAM to gain deeper insights into memory function. One area of study involves identical twins where only one has HSAM. “We currently have twins participating in the study—one with the ability and one without,” McGaugh shares. “We’re also studying younger individuals, including children as young as 8 who exhibit this trait.” Researchers plan to use functional MRI scans to explore whether HSAM brains process information differently. McGaugh explains that these findings “could reveal how the brain stores and retrieves memories and might even contribute to advancements in combating Alzheimer’s disease, though it’s too early to draw definite conclusions.”

For Rebecca Sharrock, the future is a mix of uncertainty and optimism. While scientists work to unravel the mysteries of her condition, she continues to live in a world where forgetting is a rare luxury. “To me, remembering this way feels completely normal,” Sharrock reflects—a poignant reminder that for a small group of people worldwide, extraordinary memory is simply part of everyday life.